entitle the officially recognized (19 by number) ethnic minorities to have at least one representative in the parliament; however, subsidiary laws regarding party registration, elections, and funding for national minority organizations have a combined negative impact on the ability of Roma to gain representation more proportionate to their population size. These laws also inhibit open political competition for Roma votes, lessening accountability of the party that holds the single Roma seat, in this case the Partida Romilor Pro Europa (Roma Party), which has monopolized the Romani legislative mandate for well over a decade. The 2008 reform of the laws surrounding Romania’s parliamentary elections, which changed from a party-list proportional representation system to a proportional system in single member constituencies, has not yielded significant benefits for Roma wishing to run for office. Nor, however, has it presented a major barrier to their quest for elected representation. It may, over time, result in closer connections between Roma communities and their elected representatives – regardless of ethnicity – who must now look to the votes of a single district for their re-election. Other barriers are structural, relating to elections, parliamentary representation, and the effectiveness of various government agencies, such as the National Agency for Roma or the National Council for Combating Discrimination. “These can be addressed in large part through budgeting or legislative reform, political will and law enforcement.